Yeah, and the early reports are saying no survivors. So at best, it was some kind of malfunction, and it's a goddamn tragedy. If it was actually shot down, no matter which side did it, it's a fucking mass murder.

The Kremlin has released photos and news footage of Putin in recent days, but that has not been enough to quell the rumors, and some suspect the photos could be from an older event. On Friday, the Kremlin announced that Putin will meet with Kyrgyzstan's President Almazbek Atambaev in St. Petersburg this Monday, suggesting confidence that Putin's absence is temporary.